| By Maureen O'Gara |
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| August 23, 2012 12:05 PM EDT |
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2,227 |
In an unusual rapprochement, bitter rivals Apple and the Android mob including Google, Samsung, HTC and LG have teamed up to buy the Kodak patents on the cheap, according to the Wall Street Journal, a stratagem that had Kodak threatening to pull the sale only Kodak is boxed in.
It needs the money to repay creditors like its $950 million loan from Citigroup and get out of bankruptcy jail.
It initially had visions of collecting better than a couple of billion dollars for the IP, but the only folks interested aren't willing to pay anywhere near that amount.
The Journal says the companies would be prevented from using the patents to sue one another (a good thing) but could attract the antitrust regulators (a bad thing).
When last heard from - considering there's a gag on Kodak - the 1,100 patent might fetch $500 million.
Maureen O'Gara the most read technology reporter for the past 20 years, is the Cloud Computing and Virtualization News Desk editor of SYS-CON Media. She is the publisher of famous "Billygrams" and the editor-in-chief of "Client/Server News" for more than a decade. One of the most respected technology reporters in the business, Maureen can be reached by email at maureen(at)sys-con.com or paperboy(at)g2news.com, and by phone at 516 759-7025. Twitter: @MaureenOGara
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